UFC 281 takes place in Madison Square Garden in New York City this weekend. Israel Adesanya puts his belt on the line once again as he looks to get a win back over former foe Alex Pereira. This bout will be the third meeting between the two middleweights but the first inside MMA.
From top to bottom, this card is one of the most stacked in UFC history. From a strawweight clash between champion Carla Esparza and hard-hitting contender Weili Zhang to a lightweight scrap between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. The main card of this show is a who’s who of UFC elite and is one of the most highly anticipated cards of the year.
Izzy Out For Revenge
Two defeats to Alex Pereira during his kickboxing career have made things personal for the champion. Since his losses to the Brazilian, Israel Adesanya has become one of the greatest MMA fighters of his era. Undefeated at middleweight, defending his belt against the elite of 185lbs at least once has proven Adesanya to be the best middleweight on the planet.
Adesanya has not faced a challenge like Alex Pereira in the Octagon so far, however. Although he is only 6-1 in the sport, 35-year-old Alex Pereira is one of the most experienced fighters on the UFC roster. Having fought in arguably the highest level of kickboxing in Glory, the Brazilian knockout artist made the jump to MMA. Losing his first professional bout, Pereira has been perfect since. After a stunning flying knee and a first-round KO over a ranked middleweight, Sean Strickland proved that Pereira was ready for the top middleweights. Now, Pereira faces a former opponent in Adesanya to prove he is better in both sports.
Prediction – Israel Adesanya def. Alex Pereira by split decision
Weili Wants Her Belt Back
Carla Esparza regained her title against Rose Namajunas in May of this year. A belt that Rose had previously taken off Weili. Therefore on paper, with two wins over Rose and Weili losing twice to Namajunas, this should be an easy one to score. Absolutely not. Weili Zhang is constantly showing signs of improvement via social media. The Chinese strawweight has even shown off her strength by picking up 293lb champion Francis N’Gannou in a recent video posted on social media. Zhang has made it 2-0 against the former strawweight queen – Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Esparza has one of the toughest first-title defences in UFC history. However, the seasoned veteran cannot be underestimated by her opponent. Two wins over Namajunes and a six-fight win streak in a division in which a streak like that is hard to come by shows Esparza deserves to be in the thrown she sits in.
Prediction – Weili Zhang def. Carla Esparza by knockout
UFC 281 Main Card Bangers
A main event-worthy bout between second-ranked lightweight Dustin Poirier and fifth-ranked Michael Chandler rounds off the non-title fights of the night. The fight was made with past animosity and a fan-friendly style on both ends. Ultimately leading the UFC to grant the masses dreams come true. With Poirier possibly having his last title run and Chandler desperate for another shot a lot is on the line in this banger.
Prediction – Dustin Poirier def. Michael Chandler by TKO
Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar takes his retirement fight this weekend against a tough opponent – Chris Gutierrez. 18-3 Gutierrez is not a retirement fight most fighters would take. Hungry to get into the 135lb rankings, Gutierrez will be looking to spoil the show for Edgar who is as tough as they come. A true pioneer in the sport of MMA is Edgar, proving it all the way up to his last fight.
Prediction – Chris Gutierrez def. Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision
Dan Hooker opens the main event attempting to get back to winning ways against Claudio Puelles. Up-and-comer Puelles will be attempting to get his name in the rankings against Hooker. The CKB fighter is one of the most entertaining fighters in the division. Hooker will be desperate to prove he isn’t just a gatekeeper of the division. The 21-12 lightweight will hope to find his form and get back to the 155lb elite.
Prediction – Dan Hooker def. Claudio Puelles by split decision
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
